Balthildes of Chelles: Furnished

For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14

“Balthildes was an Englishwoman, who was carried over whilst yet young into France, and there sold for a slave, at a very low price, to Erkenwald, mayor of the palace under King Clovis II. When she grew up, her master was so much taken with her prudence and virtue that he placed her in charge of his household. The renown of her virtues spread through all France, and King Clovis II took her for his royal consort.

This unexpected elevation produced no alteration in a heart perfectly grounded in humility and the other virtues; she seemed to become even more humble than before. Her new station furnished her the means of being truly a mother to the poor; the king gave her the sanction of his royal authority for the protection of the Church, the care of the poor, and the furtherance of all religious undertakings.

The death of her husband left her regent of the kingdom. She at once forbade the enslavement of Christians, did all in her power to promote piety, and filled France with hospitals and religious houses. As soon as her son Clotaire was of an age to govern, she withdrew from the world and entered the convent of Chelles.

Here she seemed entirely to forget her worldly dignity, and was to be distinguished from the rest of the community only by her extreme humility, her obedience to her spiritual superiors, and her devotion to the sick, whom she comforted and served with wonderful charity. As she neared her end, God visited her with a severe illness, which she bore with Christian patience until, on the 30th of January, 680, she yielded up her soul in devout prayer.”

Balthildes of Chelles (c. 626-680) in The Lives of the Saints by Alan Butler, 1894 (Global Grey edition, 2019) 30 January reading.

As I travel in Eastern Europe, I am finding inspiration from saints whose generous service shaped society in the castles and structures of days long past.

Bathildes is one of those saints who made the most of her “for such a time as this” moment.

She went from slave to queen long after Esther in the pages of the Old Testament, and did not let this shift corrupt her. She used her place as consort to serve as a conduit of blessing.

What about you? What work has God “furnished” you to do?

Let’s read again what Butler reports about Bathildes: “Her new station furnished her the means of being truly a mother to the poor; the king gave her the sanction of his royal authority for the protection of the Church, the care of the poor, and the furtherance of all religious undertakings.”

And notice what else she did. Rather than hold the post indefinitely, she passed the work on to her son, Clotaire. That may be her greatest accomplishment. This act would ensure sustainability.

Ponder today both on the work God has furnished you to do, and how you will pass that on to others so it continues to shower generous blessing long after you are gone.

And thanks for your prayers for our program work in Slovakia today.

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Colossians 3:12

“You will catch more flies,” St. Francis used to say, “with a spoonful of honey than with a hundred barrels of vinegar. Were there anything better or fairer on earth than gentleness, Jesus Christ would have taught it us; and yet He has given us only two lessons to learn of Him—meekness and humility of heart.”

Francis de Sales (1567-1622) in The Lives of the Saints by Alan Butler, 1894 (Global Grey edition, 2019) 29 January reading.

Related to our generosity, we need to think: honey. Francis equates it with meekness and humility of heart. What is the difference between meekness and humility?

Meekness (often translated as gentleness) refers to our posture toward others, whereas Humility is our view of ourselves before God.

I am learning in Europe that my interaction with people needs to drip like honey with meekness and humility as the typical American posture often exhibits the opposite traits.

And let me explain the connection between today’s post and the new header photo. Southern Czechia is Moravian wine country. Between every other row they plant beautiful wildflowers.

I learned this accomplishes two strategic purposes. Firstly, it brings insects that eat the pests that could harm the grapes (or in the words of Francis, “You will catch more flies…”).

Secondly it enriches the soil for more healthy grapes. Likewise, imagine how we can draw and enrich others generously with meekness and humility. Make it so, Lord Jesus.

Heading from Czechia to Slovakia today for meetings and training work in Bratislava, Poprad, and Košice. Appreciate your prayers for receptive hearts. And still praying for additional aid to deliver to Ukraine.

Give here to deliver hope and help: $10 provides 30 small loaves of bread for suffering people in Kharkiv and Donetsk regions. This bread is the perfect compliment to the honey of meekness and humility. Thanks.

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. Hebrews 3:13

“Veronica’s parents were peasants of a village near Milan. From her childhood she toiled hard in the house and the field, and accomplished cheerfully every menial task. Gradually the desire for perfection grew within her; she became deaf to the jokes and songs of her companions…

The community was extremely poor, and Veronica’s duty was to beg through the city for their daily food… She was afflicted with secret but constant bodily pains, yet never would consent to be relieved of any of her labors, or to omit one of her prayers. By exact obedience she became a living copy of the rule, and obeyed with a smile…

She died in 1497, on the day she had foretold, after a six months’ illness, aged fifty-two years, and in the thirtieth of her religious profession. When Veronica was urged in sickness to accept some exemption from her labors, her one answer was, “I must work while I can, while I have time.” Dare we, then, waste ours?”

Veronica of Milan (1445-1497) in The Lives of the Saints by Alan Butler, 1894 (Global Grey edition, 2019) 13 January reading.

“I must work while I can, while I have time.”

I shiver when people say that they steward “time, talent, and treasure” from God. Why, you may ask? The reality is, we do not steward time because we do not possess time.

I may possess talent and treasure, but I have no guarantee of the next minute, hour, day, week, or year.

When we think we steward time, we put off to tomorrow what God desires we do today. We do not know what tomorrow holds. No one does. That’s why, on each “today” we must encourage each other to faithful service.

And the writer of Hebrews explains what causes us to put off the good work God has for us.

We become hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. It happens to all of us. God forgive us and inspire us by the example of Veronica today. Despite affliction, she focused on caring for the poor. She worked for God while she had time.

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:48. She was a living copy of a soul who aimed at perfection.

What is the work God has called you to do? How does the deceitfulness of sin try to distract or hinder you from doing that important work? Ask the Spirit to make you a living copy of humble, generous service.

So, far, my meetings are going well for me in Czechia. God is forming an amazing team. More later. Thanks for your prayers.

“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ Matthew 25:45

“We clothe ourselves in purple and fine linen, and leave Jesus in poverty and neglect.”

Henry II of Bavaria (973-1024) in The Lives of the Saints by Alan Butler, 1894 (Global Grey edition, 2019) 15 July reading.

This reading struck me as I am in the region known as Bohemia a millennium ago. It’s adjacent to ancient Bavaria.

Back in the day, Butler reports that “The forests and mines of the empire, the best that his treasury could produce, were consecrated to the sanctuary… Henry deprived himself of many things to enrich the house of God.”

It reminds me that we must say “no” to some things to say “yes” to Jesus who sits in poverty and neglect.

If you have not watched it, click here see the front lines relief work of Andrey Kravtsev serving the “least of these” in Kharkiv, Ukraine. I will preach at his church in two weeks and supply emergency aid.

While aid to Ukraine as strong in the early days of the war and through the winter, it’s very hard now.

As I stated previously, a gift of even $10 will supply 30 small loaves of bread through Bread of Life ministry in Donetsk. We must not leave Jesus in poverty and neglect. Please make even a small gift for Jesus today.

Say “no” to a coffee or other small purchase so some displaced person can eat a meal and experience the love of Jesus.

And thanks for your prayers. My meetings with strategic partners have gone well so far in Czechia and continue here for two more days. I feel God’s hand leading and guiding every conversation for strengthening churches and ministries here.

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how He went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with Him. Acts 10:38

“Genevieve was born at Nanterre, near Paris… During the siege of Paris by Childeric, king of the Franks, Genevieve went out with a few followers and procured corn for the starving citizens. Nevertheless Childeric, though a pagan, respected her, and at her request spared the lives of many prisoners. By her exhortations again, when Attila and his Huns were approaching the city, the inhabitants, instead of taking flight, gave themselves to prayer and penance, and averted, as she had foretold, the impending scourge. Clovis, when converted from paganism by his holy wife, St. Clotilda, made Genevieve his constant adviser, and, in spite of his violent character, made a generous and Christian king. She died within a few weeks of that monarch, in 512, aged eighty-nine… Genevieve was only a poor peasant girl, but Christ dwelt in her heart. She was anointed with His Spirit, and with power; she went about doing good, and God was with her.”

Genevieve of Paris (419-512) in The Lives of the Saints by Alan Butler, 1894 (Global Grey edition, 2019) 3 January reading. Here’s the link to a PDF copy of this book if you want to download it freely.

I am safely in Vranov, Czechia, just north of Brno, in the home of a friend, Milan Hluchý (pictured above at sunset last night).  Because I am traveling the next three weeks with limited internet, I downloaded this classic to inspire my service and yours.

Notice how Genevieve rallied others to join her in procuring corn for the starving citizens. This reminds me of part of the reason for our mission to Ukraine. With 6.5 million internally displaced people, many are starving and in need of food.

Through Bread of Life ministry in Donetsk, we can purchase 3,000 small loaves for only $1,000. That’s one example of the aid will supply. And we trust God will be with us and protect us despite the siege of Ukraine by Russia.

Additionally, we have many meetings in Kyiv and Lviv. An alliance is forming with 39 organizations wanting to exhibit consistent stewardship and follow standards for sustainable ministry now and after the war.

But right now, join me in praying for the Czechs and the Slovaks, whom I serve this week. And give as you are able to our efforts in Eastern Europe and Ukraine. We can do good together and bring healing because God is with us.

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8

“If only mortals would learn how great it is to possess divine grace, how beautiful, how noble, how precious. How many riches it hides within itself, how many joys and delights! Without doubt they would devote all their care and concern to winning for themselves pains and afflictions. All men throughout the world would seek trouble, infirmities, torments, instead of good fortune, in order to attain the unfathomable treasure of grace.”

Rose of Lima (1586-1617) in Letter as recounted Milton Walsh in Witness of the Saints: Patristic Readings in the Liturgy of the Hours (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2012) 526.

I located this reading a month ago. I returned to it as I think about spending the next three weeks in Austria, Czechia, Slovakia, Ukraine, and Moldova. I am praying for divine grace as I travel.

When this posts, I should on my way to Brno, Czechia. I am thankful for the grace to serve Christian workers in Czechia and Slovakia this week. Let me know if you want my itinerary for prayer.

When we move toward others in service, we discover untold riches and experience unfathomable joys and delights. And the hardships we endure, just give us opportunities to learn more about God’s faithfulness.

He is able to make His grace about to us. But He does not do that until we act, move, give, serve, love in a way that exceeds human capacities and demonstrates reliance on Him.

What about you? Remember, the hands that give and serve are never empty or weak, all because of grace. To whom might God be leading you to move toward and devote yourself to their care today?

Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God. Proverbs 30:8-9

“Prosperity and adversity, wealth and poverty, health and sickness, honors and humiliations, life and death, in the mind of the wise man, are not to be sought for their own sake, nor avoided for their own sake. But if they contribute to the glory of God and your eternal happiness, then they are good and should be sought. If they detract from this, they are evil and must be avoided.”

Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621) in Letter of Saint Henry from Lives of the Saints as recounted Milton Walsh in Witness of the Saints: Patristic Readings in the Liturgy of the Hours (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2012) 526.

There’s so much wisdom here.

In Proverbs, the sage urges us to aim not at avoiding poverty or attaining riches but at trusting God for our daily bread. That’s precisely the instruction of Jesus in the Lord’s prayer.

Then Bellarmine echoes this wisdom in plain terms for us.

The things most people spend themselves and their money to attain or avoid–“Prosperity and adversity, wealth and poverty, health and sickness, honors and humiliations, life and death”–must not steal our focus.

We must focus on bringing glory and honor to God, which impacts our eternal happiness. In other words, we should make stewardship decisions not with the next 30 years in view. That’s what the world says.

We should, as Michael Blue keenly says, “Make decisions with the next 30 million years in view.”

So, when we have things we must put them to work (not hoard them on earth), realizing that our actions will impact our eternal happiness. And when we don’t have things we must ask God to supply them.

In this way God always gets the glory and we assure our eternal joy.

I leave for Eastern Europe and Ukraine today. Could you pray for safe passage and fruitful GTP service from 16 June to 7 July and for provision for the travel, transfers, and relief efforts? I appreciate it.

And if you have resources to put in play through generous giving, click here.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us. Hebrews 12:1

“We are taught and advised to abandon temporal riches, to lay aside earthly goods, and to strove to reach the eternal and everlasting dwelling-places in heaven. For present glory is fleeting and meaningless, while it is possessed, unless in it we can glimpse something of heaven’s eternity.”

Henry the Exuberant (973-1024) in Letter of Saint Henry from Lives of the Saints as recounted Milton Walsh in Witness of the Saints: Patristic Readings in the Liturgy of the Hours (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2012) 525.

I had a video interview with Saraí Súchite, founder and director of Honey World, a business as mission effort in Guatemala yesterday. She’s replicated GTP trainings in Guatemala and Costa Rica and so we were meeting to gather her impact story.

She said something that seemed to echo this post I read earlier in the day. She said that while we may be taught about stewardship and generosity, we don’t realize it is the way to live until we lay aside the good things God has give us to receive His best.

And she added, and “giving hands are never empty.” I just loved that. Ponder with me a moment. The reason we are taught and advised to let go of wealth is because it hinders our running of the race set before us. You can’t imagine a sprinter or a marathon runner carrying a suitcase, can you?

So, the lesson for our generosity today is this. Do as you are taught and advised. Lay that stuff aside and give generously because “giving hands are never empty.” Strive to finish the race set before you. Keep your focus on your eternal dwelling. Storing treasures there. With you!

Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:1-2

“You, King of glory, know how to give great gifts, and you have promised them; there is nothing greater than you, and you bestowed yourself upon us; you gave yourself for us. Therefore we ask that we may know what we love, since we ask nothing other than you give us yourself. For you are our all: our life, our light, our salvation, our food, and our drink, our God. Inspire our hearts, I ask you Jesus.”

Columba of Iona (540-615) in Instruction 13 as recounted Milton Walsh in Witness of the Saints: Patristic Readings in the Liturgy of the Hours (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2012) 519.

As I prepare my mind and heart to serve war-weary people in Eastern Europe and Ukraine with the ministry of presence and meetings to explore what it means to build local, sustainable ministry in the crisis times and after, here’s what comes to mind.

The hurting people need Jesus and they need love. And so that’s what I need to pack in my proverbial suitcase, Jesus and love. Jesus gave Himself for us in love and all I need to is more of Him and more of His love. And the same holds true for you.

Your generosity will directly correlate to the great gifts you have received from God. Sit in that idea today. Call to Him. Ask Him to fill you with His love, light, salvation, food, and drink. Only then, can your heart be filled and thrilled to go bless others generously.

I also know that on the altar at Iona, where Columba ministered, it reads, “Stand Fast.” So, once you resolve to receive great gifts and distribute them generously, be ready for difficulties. It will be hard and faith-stretching at times. But know that the God we serve is faithful.

Still praying for funds for Ukraine and other projects around the world. Would you pray with me for God to supply the remaining $53,000 by 30 June? If you want to give, click here. O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything!

In the same way, you who are younger must be subject to the elders. And all of you must clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you in due time. 1 Peter 5:5-6

“Paint your house the colors of modesty and humility. Make it radiant with the light of justice. Decorate it with the finest gold leaf of good deeds. Adorn it with the walls and stones of faith and generosity. Crown it with the pinnacle of prayer. In this way you will make it a perfect dwelling place for the Lord. You will be able to receive Him as in a splendid palace, and through His grace you will already possess him, His image enthroned in the temple of your spirit.”

John Chrysostom (347-407) in Homily 6 as recounted Milton Walsh in Witness of the Saints: Patristic Readings in the Liturgy of the Hours (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2012) 515.

My wife loves to paint rooms. It adds beauty and color. She’s good at it. And it sets a mood and sends a message of welcome. Then she decorates with simplicity and special care. She’s good at that too.

And then I located this reading. Chrysostom, known for his eloquence, does not disappoint.

His exhortation to us: paint and decorate. This is powerful and timely. Soon, my wife and I head to serve war-weary stewards in Eastern Europe and Ukraine. And what should we say to people trying to rebuild their broken world.

Paint and decorate. Brilliant! “Adorn it with the walls and stones of faith and generosity.”

So, how does this relate to you and me? We must paint our lives with modesty and humility. And adorn them with the best accessories, faith and generosity.

Ponder the implications for your life.

What would it look like to paint with humility and modesty and decorate with faith and generosity? Now don’t just think about it, follow the leading of the Spirit and take action.